


The Grand Essentials of Happiness

by anyanka_eg



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crack, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-11
Updated: 2010-03-11
Packaged: 2017-10-07 21:29:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/69424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anyanka_eg/pseuds/anyanka_eg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An AU in which Rodney is still a genius and John still loves him</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Grand Essentials of Happiness

“What is it?”

“I don't know,” Rodney snapped at his friend. “Just give me a few minutes.”

“Rodney,” John whined, sounding way more pathetic than someone over five years old should do. “Come on.”

“Yes, yes I know.”

It was tough to concentrate on examining the...the...the thing, when John was pressing himself up against his back to see over his shoulder. He thought they'd agreed they weren't going to do this outside of their rooms but he couldn't bring himself to tell John to move away. The sun was bright in the sky but there was still a chill in the air so John's warmth was welcome, if distracting.

“I'm hungry,” Ronon rumbled from somewhere behind Rodney. He rolled his eyes at the big ape's constant obsession with food but didn't say anything. He thought he might be as worried about his stomach if he'd had the same history as Ronon. John's hand came to rest on his shoulder, a comforting weight as though his friend understood exactly what he was thinking.

“I think, if I put this,” Rodney began, picking up the knobbly stick and pushing it into the shaped hole on the box, “in there...”

“Rodney!” John grabbed at him, worry coloring his voice, but Rodney flicked his hand away.

“...then this,” he continued, turning the stick in the hole, “will open like this.”

“Cool,” John breathed in his ear, as the door swung open.

“Teyla and the baby will love these,” Ronon said, his shadow looming over them both and reaching in to the cabinet. He swung away from them, heading back to where Teyla was stretched out, swinging her son above her.

 “Well done,” John murmured, brushing his lips behind Rodney's ear and wrapping his arms tight round his waist. “You really are a genius.”

                                                                             *******

On the other side of the fence, his red uniform t-shirt bright in the sun, the keeper watched Rodney open the box in under ten minutes. He shook his head and wondered what he was going to do next. Rodney really was the most intelligent chimp he'd ever met. John was way brighter than most, but Rodney was a cut above. He wondered how the ex-lab chimp had managed to keep his inquisitive nature despite being locked in a cage in a lab for the first five years of his life. At least now he had a tight-knit bunch of other chimps round him, even if they were the oddest little troop at the park, and all the problems to solve the keepers could build for him. He watched John hug Rodney tight and smiled. His boys were happy, arms round each other, as they sat in the sun and ate the dates from inside the box.

**Author's Note:**

> This comes from spending way too much of my time watching Monkey Business and Monkey Life on TV. It's a show about the rescued primates of Monkey World in Dorset, UK. They do a wonderful job giving homes to rescued chimps, orangutans, lemurs, gibbons and many others. The chimps are excellent and there was even an alpha male in one group called Rodney. Sadly he was ousted by his second in command and died of a heart attack as the vets tried the deal with his injuries.
> 
> If you want to know more, see the site here http://www.monkeyworld.org/. I'm thinking of sponsoring a chimp.
> 
> The title is from a quote by Allan K. Chalmers 'The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.'


End file.
